Significant investment was made in boosting Internet access, particularly in rural communities, to enable persons to study, work and conduct business remotely due to the impact of COVID-19.
Universal Service Fund
• Free Wi-Fi hotspots were commissioned in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay; Chapelton and May Pen, Clarendon; Annotto Bay, St. Mary; Ocho Rios, St. Ann; and Port Antonio, Portland.
• $1.5 million worth of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment, including three laptops, two projectors, nine multifunction printers and two monitors, were donated to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) to improve the entity’s communication with its clients.
• $2.8 million worth of computer supplies, inclusive of tablets, printers and associated devices, were donated to the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA).
• The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JCF) was presented with with a laptop and a desk computer to boost vehicle maintenance and fleet management.
• Community access points (CAP) were opened at Spicy Grove Youth Centre in Oracabessa and Three Hills Resource Centre in St. Mary, and the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), Cassia Park, Kingston.
• $17.5 million in ICT support was provided to the Ministry of Health and Wellness to boost the bandwidth capacity of health facilities in the fight against COVID-19.
• $700 million was handed over to e-Learning Jamaica to fund the procurement of devices under the Tablets for Teachers Programme.
• One tertiary scholarship and 28 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) grants were awarded to students islandwide.
• A Tertiary ICT Graduate Research Grant Programme, through which Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy students can access up to $15 million to facilitate research was launched.
e-Government
• Commenced implementation of the National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI) project, which will enable individuals and entities to utilise
e-signatures to transact business digitally with all State agencies in a safe environment.
Digitisation
• 40 youngsters benefitted from a 12-month digitisation programme, with $18.5 million provided to support a stipend for the participants.
ENERGY
• Approximately 380 motorists, whose vehicles were affected by “bad gas” in 2015, benefitted from a compensation package valued $24.5 million.
• The electric mobility strategic framework was completed, which will inform the electric vehicle policy for the public transportation sector.
